The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter (14 page)

 

ELIOT

Here come the train! Here come the train!

Through the mountains, roun the bend. Humble got lotsa mountains, Humble in the valley mountains all roun, someday I climb them Apple-layshun Mountains! He wavin the flag! The man wavin the flag, Mama!

I know. She lookin down the railroad tracks, her lips turn up to smile. If ain't no peoples gettin on the train, the man don't wave the flag. If the man don't wave the flag, the train don't stop in Humble! Them days we hope Daddy can get to the winda, wave at us while the train roll past. But the man wavin the flag! Hoppin, Mama hole my han tight for fear I run out in the tracks, I won't!

Train slow, slow. Stop. Mama an me look up an down, where they get off?

There he is! There's my daddy let the peoples off! I try to run but Mama hole my han tight. It almost nine at night but sometime she let me come see Daddy. He put down the step, they step down, he take their suitcase, hole it for em they step down. When the peoples all off he turn aroun, grin at me an Mama, we come hug tight! Then his grin fall down. Where's Dwight?

I hollered for him. Off with Roof prolly. He be here Friday.

Daddy always happy! happy! see me an Mama. But always the happy lose somethin he don't see Dwight.
We
here, Daddy!
We
here!

My daddy train porter the Capitol Limited, New York go to Worshinton go to Chicago Chicago back to Worshinton back to New York, train stop in Humble on the way! Twenty-one hours goin to Chicago, then he gotta stay there all day till nex train goin back to New York, then he gotta spend the night till nex train back to Chicago, sometime six days past fore I see my daddy! Goin to Chicago he stop in Humble right fore bedtime but comin back
from
Chicago happen 5:30 in the mornin, Mama don't wanna wake us so we can only see him sometime comin but she get up see him comin
an
goin.

Dark when we get home. Dwight better be there or he in trouble!

Where was you? I hollered for you when we went to see your daddy.

Dwight shrug. Roof's. I don't know. He settin at the kitchen table drawrin.

Well I tole him you gonna see him goin on Friday.

He shadin in his drawrin, say nothin. She smack his arm.

What!

You heard me.

I heardja! I'll be there Friday!

Don't gimme no lip! He sigh.

In bed Dwight sleep, I listen to the rain. Dwight useta wanna go every time Daddy goin through town. He don't see the sad Daddy get,
We
here, Daddy! The rain harder, make me gotta pee! I don't like walkin to the bathroom in the dark by myself! Dwight. Dwight!

What.

I gotta pee!

He mad but get outa bed come with me. One time he wouldn't an I got so scared to go by myself I didn't. He hit me an I started cryin, an she mad at him, Why's he cryin? an I think Dwight gonna get in trouble but when she find out I'm cryin cuz Dwight hit me cuz I peed the bed then
she
hit me! How old are you, boy? She tell him he don't never have to go with me but he say Yeah, an
I'm
the one have to sleep in the wet bed with him, so after that he always come with me if I wake up gotta go.

Relief! But I gotta run cuz soon's I'm done Dwight headed back to the bed, even fore I pull up my underpants! He do that on purpose!

Why you play with Roof when you pose to come see Daddy? You useta come all the time see Daddy with me an Mama! His back to me, he say, Cuz I ain't a big baby like you. I say, I'ma tell Mama an Daddy you said that. He don't say nothin but I know his eyes goin all rolly, even in the dark.

I dream I got a new playfriend we climb the trees. She's dirty, she's Roof's little sister that died, I don't know her name. When I wake up I don't tell no one bout my dream. Mama say I gotta be nice to Roof cuz his little sister died. But she say don't never say nothin to Roof bout his sister but sometime I wonder bout his sister. Whatta
you
starin at? Roof say. Button my lip! I say an run off. There's other dirty white families Mama call em white trash but one time me an Mama alone in the kitchen an I call Roof's dirty white family white trash an Mama slap my arm.

Here come the train! My mama hole me tight while my daddy the porter help the peoples off the train, take their suitcases for em. He turn aroun to us. He look tired, tired. The porters got very long shiffs, Mama say, they get very short rests. He come to Mama an me smilin an then he raise his face an his face got the worry. Where's Dwight?

Mama surprised. He was jus here—

Dwight come out the train station, done bought a red hot cimmamon ball, suckin on it. I notice he didn't buy none for nobody else!

Boy, whatchu doin in there! your daddy's train pullin up.

Dwight look at her, but mostly his eyes on Daddy. Daddy oughta whoop him good, fronta all these peoples. He prolly think he's too big for that. Hahaha!

But Daddy don't look like he gonna whoop him. Come ere son, say Daddy. Dwight do an Daddy give that miscreant the warmest hug of all. I seen miscreant on Dwight's vocabulary list. Miss McAfee said you learn a vocabulary word by usin it in a sentence so I jus did.

 

DWIGHT

There's us an nex to us is Miss Onnie an nex to Miss Onnie Cooper's. Coopers was this ole white couple, spry when I was little, later feeble, later dead. For a few months after some grown man granson from Virginia'd show up occasionally, an eventually For Sale out front.

Train Club last about two days. Then I suggest the Architeck Club, which Roof ain't a speck impressed on till I commence siftin through his well-stocked junkyard an start erectin my tower with what I find, now he all interest. Hey Dwight, how bout some planks from this ole cart for the castle? How bout wheels from this toy wagon, how bout this doll head for a gargoyle? I say tower, Roof say castle, we meanin the same. Yet all the time our mind on Cooper's, findin excuses to walk down the street an glance over, but no move-ins never show up.

Then Thursday after school. Day before lass day, big fat movin truck an two white men struggling with a couch up the eight porch steps. The white school jus three blocks away so Roof always beat me home, Roof already there grinnin at me.

Toldja, he say. We set on Mr. White's brick wall, it stand about a foot an a half off the groun. Mr. White's colored, Mr. White's a ole drunk lives direckly crost from Cooper's, he don't mind we set here, our front-row eye view.

Now the movin men pullin twin beds out the trunk. See? says Roof, like I ever disputed him on whether there was kids in the move-in family. We haven't yet seen anybody from the move-in family. Jus the movin truck which is enormous, and the movin men which is several. Next: piano. Not the big black gran kind like in the Ginger n Freds. Just a regular brown but me an Roof sure ain't seen nothin like it cep school.

They're rich, Roof says, all awe.

An art! The movin men's liftin big flat things wrapped in cloth, an one a the cloths slips off an I see these ain't framed family photographs, these is paintings! An a big heavy heavy desk with carvins all meticulous, a black wastebasket hand-painted Japanese ladies!

Roof!

His mother. He grumblin, Cuz I didn't take the garbage out.

Roof!
She got a powerful holler, even with her stomach overflowin with baby.

What!

Come take the garbage out like I toldja!

Roof all sarcasm: Like our kitchen, you really can tell the difference between what's garbage an what ain't. But he goes.

Vanity. Two a the men holdin the bottom the drawers removed, one walkin sideways with the meer. Accidentally the meer bang gainst the hangin porch swing. The hangin porch swing was the Coopers', come with the house. It's a scratch maybe, no tragedy, but the front door fly open an a white lady pop out, Please be careful!

Hi.

I give a start! Didn't see this white boy standin before me. Look to be bout my age. Blond.

Where you live?

I point.

You like backgammon?

What's backgammon?

You like checkers?

I nod.

Backgammon's like checkers, except smarter. Come ere. I'll graduate you.

He walk ahead, leadin me right into his house, right through the front door while the movers is negotiatin the queen-size headboard. Follow him upstairs.

This is my room. I look aroun. Still bare cept a twin bed with nekked mattresses, little dresser.

This whole room yours? You don't gotta share?

My sister got her own room.

He lay out the board an the checkers a backgammon an we set on the floor. A little studyin to remember the setup patterns but besides that I catch on quick. He wins two games an we deep in the third.

Carl!

I figure it's the same white lady tole the movers Please be careful. I look at the boy. He don't look up.

Carl!

His eyes don't budge from studyin his nex move, like he's deaf to the woman. Maybe she's callin his brother? He got a brother?

Her footsteps comin up the stairs. When she reach the top, Carl! Didn't you hear me oh! Hello!

Even though she yellin at him, her voice all soff, smilin.

Hi.

Carl, you didn't tell me you had a friend.

I guess you got the hang of this goddamn game cuz this time you goddamn gonna win, an with that he make the suicide move which he got no choice to do. My eyes pop out my head! This boy cussin in fronta his
mama
?

What's your friend's name, Carl? Sweet as roses.

I don't know, he says, lookin at me. What's your name, friend?

Dwight.

Well Dwight, I just went out and got a few groceries. Would you like an apple? And some milk?

Yes, please.

Carl?

You plannin on movin today or tomorrow,
Dwight
?

We on the fifth game, him wantin to make up for losin the lass two, when she comes up with two glasses a milk an two apples sliced up pretty on two saucers, like tea with the queen.

You're learning from the best, she says. Carl was runner-up to his school's backgammon champion.

He cheated
! Carl snaps.

I'm Mrs. Talley.

Thank you, Mrs. Talley, an I take a delicious sip to demonstrate my appreciation.

Then Carl turns to her for the firs time, smilin. Thank you, Mom.

Now she smiles big. Well I'll leave you two boys alone, an she turns an leaves.

Should I shut the door so we're not disturbed again? Carl asks while she still most definitely in earshot. Before I can answer he stans an slams the door so hard I hear somethin fall an crash downstairs. Carl rolls. Doubles! He snaps his fingers, happy-skippin his men roun the board as I wait for Mrs. Talley to come stompin back up the steps an scream at him. But all I hear's the sound of a broom sweepin below an though I stay till my suppertime I never see her rest a the day.

 

ELIOT

Whatchu cryin for?

I stop. There Miss Onnie, where she come from? Starin at me, big blue eyes steel eyes.

I
ast
you a question, boy. Settin on the curve blubberin.

Now I blubberin loud. Jeanine uncle gonna drownd Parker!

She look at me hard.

My kitten! Bea Ann say Jeanine don't give em all away before June the fith, Jeanine uncle gonna take em to the crick, drownd em! An my mama won't lemme take Parker! An today June the fith!

Stop that bawlin!

I stop it but I got the hiccups.

Bring it here.

Lookin at her.

Bring the damn thing here. If it ain't diseased, I'll take it.

I run! Miss Onnie savin Parker's life! Miss Onnie the nicest white lady I know! There's Jeanine!

What?

Miss Onnie savin Parker's life!

Huh?

Miss Onnie say if tannie kitten ain't diseased, she take him!

He ain't diseased.

She take him!

Jeanine go inside her house. Somethin smell nice smell warm from her kitchen. She come back out with Parker.

Parker! Take him in my arms, he gettin big! Miss Onnie savin Parker's life so your uncle don't drownd him!

Uh-uh. He was gonna take the whole nest but we give all the rest of em away. This the only one leff. Mama said the kitten all big, like a real person now, Uncle Ramonlee don't got the heart. You wanna brownie?

Me an Jeanine at Jeanine's kitchen table, brownies all warm.

I ain't goin, says Uncle Ramonlee. Damn white man's war.

Well maybe it ain't gonna happen, says Jeanine's mama.

Oh it gonna happen.

Well maybe they won't call you.

Oh they gonna call me. Nineteen, why won't they call me? All them white boys gonna need some colored service, whip up the slop for em, kitchen. Not me.

Miss Onnie! Miss Onnie! I got the cat, here's Parker!

Miss Onnie feedin her cats in her yard, all wantin the milk, all wantin the scraps. Mama say Miss Onnie got seventy-leventy cats!

Lemme see.

Miss Onnie take Parker, she look him over head to toe.

Okay. I got my girls fixed anyhow, he won't be botherin em.

She drop Parker in with the rest. He fightin for the food. Them big cats won't let him in!

Miss Onnie, he gonna starve! Look, the big cats won't let him get no food!

He ain't gonna starve. Miss Onnie use her foot, push big cats out the way. Parker eat some. Then she let big cats back.

I don't think he got enough, Miss Onnie.

Mine your business, little boy. Look at all them cats. Think I don't know how to raise cats? Then she go to another dish, push big cats out the way so a little blacknwhite get a taste. I know how to care for the runt.

Eliot! My mama callin.

What's the new family like?

We in the kitchen, supper. Mama wanna know all bout the new white family movin in, askin Dwight.

I don't know. They okay.

Tomarra's lass day, Mama. Then summer vacation!

I know. She answer me but eyes still on Dwight.

Where they from?

Ohio.

They got kids?

Yeah. Boy my age. Carl. He got a sister. Forget her name.

What kinda work the daddy do?

I don't know! I jus met em today!

Don't get smart.

I got my cat, Mama! I got Parker!

Now she turn to me. Didn't I tell you no cats?

Miss Onnie say she take care a him for me!

Oh. Ain't Miss Onnie already got seventy-leventy cats?

Ring.
Mama get the phone.

How come he move here today when he posed to be in school? I say.

Where he moved from they already finished school. Don't you go grillin me too.

I stop grillin Dwight, eat my macaroni an cheese. I love macaroni an cheese!

Mama come back. Why your teacher wanna see me tomarra?

I wait for Dwight to answer, sometime he in trouble with his schoolwork! Then see him an her's lookin at me.

I don't know. Maybe cuz I'm gettin the Perfect Attendance certificate!

That didn't sound like what it was.

I peer through the bushes, I see all them cats but I can't find Parker. Then I see him, bring him to our yard. Mama ain't in the kitchen, I run in, get a bitta milk, lay it out our back porch for Parker. Nex mornin fore lass day a school I do the same: Parker's breakfass. School half-day, then dismissal, all the kids gone but me. Me an Mama standin at Miss McAfee's desk: cryin! cryin!

Stop that cryin, boy! You did it.

I didn't mean to do it!

Now how you didn't mean to color in your schoolbooks.

Jus one! Jus the readin book! I forgot I did it! I didn't mean to!

Well, Miss McAfee says. Miss McAfee look like Marian Anderson, smile like Marian Anderson cep today I see no teeth. Well. You have been the best behaved boy in the class all year, Eliot. I must say I'm surprised at you.

Miss McAfee surprised at me! She only say that to the bad kids! I'm cryin!

Stop that. Mama smack my arm. It don't hurt my arm but it hurt my feelins. I try stop cryin.

How much the damage gonna cost us, Miss McAfee? Worry her face. I almost start cryin again! I know we ain't got no money!

Well, say Miss McAfee. Since this is your first infraction. The teachers still have to be at school two more days. I want you to write one hundred times I shall not vandalize school property. Say it?

I shall not vandalize school property.

I've written it here for you. Now you copy it a hundred times, alright? You know what vandalize means? You know what property means?

I get it from the contest.

Context. But now she smile.

I'll use it in a sentence, that way I learn it. When you vandalize somebody's property, you hurt their feelins.

Very good. You'll bring your paper back to me tomorrow?

Yes.

How much the damage gonna cost us, Miss McAfee?

Miss McAfee shake her head, like we don't gotta pay. Then she open her desk an pull out the certificate. Congratulations on perfect attendance, Eliot.

I try smile but my eyes still wet. On Miss McAfee's desk the book open for us to see, the pages I vandalized. Dick an Jane runnin with Spot the Dog. I took a brown crayon an colored in Dick an Jane.

So I'll see you tomorrow, Eliot.

Yes.

She turn to my mother. He never says Yes ma'am.

Yes ma'am was from the slave days, say Mama. I told him I ever heard him say it, I'd smack him.

When we outside Mama look at my certificate, look at my report card. In the firs grade they don't give A-B-C-D but everything Miss McAfee write is high an lass thing she say

Eliot is a superior student, of extraordinary curiosity and ability. It has been a delight to have had such a fast learner in my classroom. I could hardly keep up with him!

Mama smile at my report card at my certificate. What kinda special cake I should bake for these? Chocolate?

I wa'n't expectin
that
!

I set at the kitchen table, write it over an over while she mix the batter. She look at my work. Them
P'
s startin to get sloppy.

Too many
P'
s in property! My arm tired!

Okay, you take a little arm rest till I say.

Okay! I stand, gonna find Parker.

Stay right there.

I set, sigh.

If you hadn't turned Dick an Jane colored, you wouldn't have homework after the lass day a school. But her mouth turn up like to smile.

In come Dwight.

Where you been?

Carl's.

Where's your report card?

Huh. Huh, where'd I put that?

Find it.

He do, an from the look on her face I know Dwight ain't gettin no special cake tonight. She taken him upstairs but firs she look to me: Your break's over.

28. I shall not vandalize school property.

After supper I lay out Parker's supper milk, by nex mornin breakfass he expectin it, waitin for me! Then me an Mama walk my homework to Miss McAfee an she smile, ack like nothin bad never happened. She say, Have a good summer, Eliot! Don't stop your reading! I say, Yes, Miss McAfee! Mama think ma'am is slave talk, even though Miss McAfee colored Mama say Don't never say ma'am but still respeck your elders: Yes, not Yeah.

Mama gone to Miss Idie's part-time, I layin out Parker's milk meal an here come Dwight.

Better not let Mama catch you givin milk to that tabby. Fan your behine.

Miss Onnie got too many cats. Parker don't get enough!

He get enough. Miss Onnie's voice from behine the bushes. Dwight take off! I wanna take off but lee Parker fend hisself?

Come ere, Yella Cat. I see her feet through the bushes but bushes high, Miss Onnie ain't tall enough see over the top. Yella Cat, why she call Parker that? Yella ain't a name! An he a tannie!

Like it hang in the air, high over my head. Water sailin over them hedges, floatin below the clouds, then it fall.
Splash!
Parker scream an run, I run cry into my house. Everything happen fass! When Mama get home see me all wet I cry, I tell her how Miss Onnie threw the water over the bushes drownd me! Mama march me over there,
bang bang
Miss Onnie door. When Miss Onnie come, my Mama tongue flyin, han on her hip.

Miss Onnie say I
told
that boy I take care a my cats. I don't appreciate him lead em off, sneak feedin em milk at
your
house.

My mama look down at me.
What
milk?

Home I get the whippin. She take a switch! I cry an cry. You think we got money for milk wasted on cats? Then she say go tell Miss Onnie I ain't gonna do that no more. I try wipe my face go over. My behine don't hurt cuz Mama don't never hit hard but I always forget that while she doin it.

Where all the cats? Miss Onnie's yard usually fulla cats, now I see none. Then I find em. They all inside Miss Onnie's house at the windas lookin out. There's Parker. They all lookin out, backa the yard. Their mouths movin, they cryin to get out! But it kinda look like they singin to get out, they in the cat choir!

There Miss Onnie backa the yard, throwin bread crumbs to the birds. The birds everywhere.

Miss Onnie, how come you locked all them cats up inside?

She don't look at me, jus tossin the crumbs. Birds gotta eat too, she say. An shouldn't have to worry they
get
et in the process. She got a lotta bread crumbs. The more she throw, the more birds come.

I help?

She open her bread crumb bag bigger. I put my han in. Me an Miss Onnie feedin the birds!

Sorry I fed Parker when you said no, Miss Onnie. I won't do that no more. Tear in my eye.

She tossin.

I said I'd take care a that cat, you ack like I's a liar. I'm seventy-three never tole no lies, my mama name me Honesty. I stuck by it.